The Ogun State Police Command on Friday announced the dismantling of a notorious kidnapping syndicate, allegedly operated by Cameroonian nationals who lured victims under the guise of visa processing.
The Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the command raided the group’s hideout in Mowe, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, arresting two suspects, Ndzana Kamga Isidore and Tingue Stephen, while the principal suspect, identified as Donald, remains at large.
Preliminary investigations revealed that victims’ families in Cameroon had paid a ransom of 3,600,000 CFA into the bank account of the fleeing suspect.
The state police spokesperson, CSP Omolola Odutola, stated, “On 4th November 2025, at about 1030hrs, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Eleweran, intercepted a distress call from a Cameroonian national (Kengne Maeva) who narrated how she had been deceived from Cameroon into Nigeria on 29th September 2025 by one Donald ‘M’, a fellow Cameroonian, who promised to process a Canadian visa for her.
“Shortly after she arrived at Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, she was received by the supposed ‘agency’ which provided transportation from Lagos to Mowe, Ogun State, where she and her younger sister, aged 23 years, were held hostage.
Read Also
READ ALSO: Police Bust Organ Trafficking Ring, Recover Body Parts In Benue
“On 3rd November 2025, the complainant escaped from captivity and alerted the police, disclosing that more victims who fell for the same ploy were being held in a two-bedroom flat in the Pakuro area of Ogun State.”
Acting on the report, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit’s tactical team stormed the hideout, rescuing Kengne Maeva unharmed and arresting two suspects at the scene.
The principal suspect is still being sought.
The Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, has directed continuous monitoring of similar criminal activities across the state and urged tactical commanders to engage community stakeholders and Community Development Association chairmen, especially in remote areas, to report any suspicious foreign nationals renting apartments directly to the police without delay.
The command reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding lives and property, ensuring that criminal elements find no safe haven in Ogun State.
In a related case, Ghana Police rescued a 15-year-old Nigerian girl trafficked from Enugu under the pretense of a cleaning job and forced into prostitution.
One suspect, Joy Ogbonna, was arrested, while the prime suspect remains at large. Police said Ogbonna allegedly confined the victim, forced her into prostitution, and collected proceeds from the illegal act, following a report by the victim’s father.
